Language Barriers

Schools in Ireland have a diverse student population, including many non – English speaking students. The number of immigrants who settled in Ireland in the past decade is without precedent the influx was swelled by the Government’s decision to allow Eastern Europeans to move here earlier than most other EU countries after the EU expanded in 2004. With huge influx of migration come issues like language barrier

Language and cultural barriers, can be frustrating and can have an adverse effects on a students overall progress, it is reported that language barrier is the biggest test for international students, next to finding jobs.

Even those who can speak English may not be able to fully comprehend what is being said or communicate to the most effective degree, because of their accents. According to a study by Yale researchers reported in the most recent issue of the Journal of Language and Social Psychology f ound that speaking with a nonnative accent reduced people’s sense of belonging in their community. Although this effect was somewhat worse for those students who found it more difficult to communicate, communication difficulties could not account for the entire effect.

Even students who had little difficulty communicating felt less like they belonged than native students with regional accents.

The study indicated that nonnative students perceive cultural bias against them to be worse, the stronger they believe their accent is. Thus, feelings of not belonging and daily stress associated with communication are increased for students who have stronger nonnative accents this leads to most foreign students keeping friends of their own community and being able to integrate into their new country